A kiss and a flower
by midnightshadowmaster
Summary: Harry gets a surprising courting present. Slash. One-shot.


**I do not own Harry Potter.**

Harry glared at the most recent gift box. It was _not _ordinary, by any stretch of the imagination. It looked ridiculously fancy. Not obnoxiously so, but Harry had somewhat developed the ability to notice just how expensive the silver-silken thread wrapping had been, not to mention the bow itself was rigid, made of solid _green _gold. He wanted to throw it away, truly, but the craftsmanship was unique, and it was beautiful. Still, he would also probably like to kill the sender. Taking a deep breath, he braced himself as he decided to delicately open the present.

Resisting the urge to just tear it apart to see its contents, after a couple of minutes, he was faced with a dark walnut box, gold-plated letters on it. A delicate M intertwined with an H.

Harry was about to face-palm himself into next week (or back to last week, considering the backwards motion? Whatever). The box held a circlet, and a ring.

"Really, Marvolo?" he muttered to the box as he closed it again.

"Harry?" Sirius called.

"In my room" the teen replied, and he just stared at the box, knowing that Sirius would barge into his room in less than ten seconds.

"So, what's this all about?"

"Remember how I told you I kind of liked a guy?" he looked at the other teen.

"Yes, Mother nearly fainted"

"Dad will kill you if you keep calling him that" came the usual deadpan.

"He was the one pregnant! It's valid!" came the usual reply.

"He's still not a woman" Harry rolled his eyes, "That's not the point, though. The thing is… well, that" and he pointed to the box, "It has a circlet and a ring"

"Who the fuck is 'M'? Lucius?" Sirius made a slight expression of distaste. He had learned to tolerate Harry's friends, if only because they frequented the same places and events, and, more importantly, they were his twin brother's friends. So, just as Harry had learned to get along with James Potter and Remus Lupin, Sirius had learned the same with Lucius Malfoy, Severus Snape, and Rabastan Lestrange. Sirius still held a milder level of distaste towards the three Slytherins.

"Of course not. He's too busy courting Cissy" Harry rolled his eyes, "Besides, if it had been Lucius, it would be a letter L on it, given that they used the H instead of the B for me, meaning it's on first name basis" he could see Sirius was itching to open the box and inspect its contents, but no one but the recipient could touch it. Of course he recognized it as a courting present, a traditional one.

"Then who is it?" Harry hesitated, wondering how his twin would take it. Sirius frowned, "Hadrian Altair Black, who is it?" he finally asked. Whoever it was, it made his brother nervous, and he just _needed_ to know who put him like that.

"Marvolo Slytherin-Riddle" Harry sighed in something akin to defeat. The older twin blinked.

"The lord that came here last month? The one that's barely five years younger than dad?" as his brother's nod, "Damn. How did this happen?"

"You're being awfully calm about this"

"Harry, really? I noticed a couple of looks you sent him, and you always liked older guys. Really, you never even bothered with guys around our age. It is shocking, but mostly the part about him _daring_ to send you this" he looked at the box pointedly, "And I really want to hear to an explanation before I do anything to him, because if this is to take advantage of you, or our family through you, I will make him rue the day his parents met"

"You can be scary when you get all protective"

"Says the one that made a guy piss himself when you found out he tried something with Regulus"

"He deserved it"

"We're getting off topic. Harry, how did this happen?"

"Well… it all started two months ago. At Lucius' birthday gala" Harry started.

_*FLASHBACK*_

_Harry had already made his first round of what he called 'political chat'. Even if he would not inherit the Lord Black title, he usually acted as if he was, because it was pretty convenient. Sirius did not want to become the next lord of their house, and he usually skipped a lot of those lessons. He still had the mannerisms and the politeness, but he just wasn't interested in maintaining small conversations with other lords or heirs, he didn't like politics much, and he really preferred casual, friendly chatter with James and Remus. Hence, everyone was happy Hadrian, or Harry, as most people knew him, took charge of that._

_It bought Sirius time to catch up on the lessons, and the reputation of their family flourished even more, always in a positive light. Hadrian would never allow their name to be tainted._

_"Hadrian Altair Black?" a deep voice called his name, and he turned from the conversation he had been holding with Severus about his friend's latest theory for some potions._

_"Excuse me, Severus"_

_"Of course, Hadrian" he gave a nod to the man, and left to find Rabastan and Rodolphus._

_"Impressive. You have authority"_

_"He is a friend, but he knows I do have duties to attend to at every event" he had slipped almost instantly into the more controlled mannerisms he adopted when talking with his 'contacts', "I'm afraid we have not met before. You seem to know my name, but I have yet to hear yours"_

_"Ah. Lord Thomas Marvolo Slytherin-Riddle, at your service" Hadrian resisted the urge to cock an eyebrow. He was good enough to know this lord was observing his reaction to his titles, obviously somewhat expecting a bit of awe._

_"I have heard bits and pieces about you from other lords"_

_"Oh, really?"_

_"Yes. However, I do like to make my own judgements and form my own opinions on people when I meet them personally" Hadrian replied easily, "You claimed became a lord and claimed your seats as soon as you got out of Hogwarts? Is that true?"_

_"Yes. As there were no other heirs to the Slytherin line, and I was able to prove I am the most direct descendant, it was rather easy. I do not know if you know of this, but, also, as a magical orphan that grew up in a muggle orphanage, I found myself eager to make certain changes to our world"_

_"It did cause a bit of an uproar. Enough that even my brothers and I know about it, and we had not been born when you did it. My father told us you had been the youngest one to claim their seats, but also one of the most prepared to do so" Harry said. It was true. His grandfather had actually been the Black Lord, not his father, when Marvolo Slytherin, as he preferred to be called, took his seats and the mantle of the Slytherin lordship. So, while nowadays he was around the same age as the rest of the lords, he had been there when everyone was at least double his age._

_"I see" Marvolo was oddly taken with the teen in front of him. It was obvious he was a natural while dealing with people in a political way, and, apparently, even though he knew it was Sirius Orion who was supposed to inherit the Black title, Hadrian Altair was the one that took the job of acting as the heir. To a whole new level, too, "What are your plans when you leave Hogwarts?"_

_"If Sirius will have me, probably his assistant. I do enjoy, in part, being able to have a positive influence in our world. Aside from that, I had thought of becoming a Charms and Defense Master. Probably a Dark Arts Master as well"_

_"Dark Arts Master? With how people tend to view them?"_

_"Their ignorance is not my problem, at any rate. Magic can hardly be classified as Dark or Light, or even Grey. For me, it has to do with the power you are able to gain, and how you use it. If you use it to harm people, then there is a problem. But not only spells considered Dark can harm someone"_

_"Could you provide an example?"_

_"Of course. Levitating charm. We use it on feathers at Hogwarts, and then perhaps to move our things around without tiring. But, tell me, what would stop me from using it to levitate a person and then release them at an abyss, dropping them to their death?" Hadrian smirked when he saw the spark in Marvolo's eyes. He knew it could be hard to envision 'Light' spells to be dangerous, but, in reality, any spell was dangerous if used as such._

_"You have a brilliant mind, Mr. Black"_

_"Hadrian is okay to use"_

_"Then, by all means, call me Marvolo"_

_"Of course, Marvolo" their conversation extended even more than what Hadrian was used to. He found the lord to be fascinating, not only because of his political mind, his amazing way to strategize his moves, but also because he could talk about more casual topics. In a way, it was an exercise for Hadrian, talking with his pureblood upbringing, and then also in the way he talked to his friends and family._

_"Would you let me have this dance, Hadrian?" Marvolo asked after a good two hours of conversation. The only thing that had interrupted them had been when Lucius came down. They stopped for the presentation of him as an adult wizard, and for their congratulations, but then went back to their seats._

_Hadrian had been surprised, but the invitation was well-received._

_"Lead the way"_

_A few people stared as they walked to the dancefloor, even more when they moved with a grace that seemed almost… ethereal. Orion Black was trying to process what he was seeing. Sirius and Regulus had stopped talking to their respective friends, watching their brother and the lord dance, then going back to their conversations as if nothing happened after a few minutes. Sirius had only seen mild attraction on his twin's eyes when they had met one of Lucius' cousins, a French Malfoy by the name Étienne, who was older than them by a good ten years. So this… this was interesting. Especially because the lord seemed rather interested in not leaving Hadrian's side for the entire night, even after the dance._

_*END FLASHBACK*_

"So… that… that dance?"

"It started there. We began writing to each other during the schoolyear. And that does sound a bit weird" Harry sighed, "We grew close, eventually, and we even met a couple of times at Hogsmead" a light blush appeared in his cheeks, "I do consider him attractive"

"I know your older guy kink, Harry. You only ever stare at guys that are like, at least, seven years older than us"

"Are you okay with that?"

"Is that the reason you're skittish about this? Of what I might think?" Sirius sounded as insulted as he felt with the very idea of his twin thinking he would judge him.

"No! Well, partly, just the thing about him being old enough to be our father" Harry shrugged, "But I know you're supportive of everything I do unless it's going to get me killed. Really" Sirius smiled, and couldn't help but agree. It was twin prerogative, perhaps, to just support each other no matter what, but always making sure the other was okay, "And I don't know how dad's going to deal with it, to be honest"

"Yeah. Colleague in the Wizengamot and whatnot, courting one of his sons. Maybe he won't freak out as much as he would if it was Regulus, considering he's two years younger than us. You don't seem too convinced about the box, though. I can tell he put thought into it. Getting real green gold is rare, let alone enough to get that flower done" Sirius cocked an eyebrow, "So, what's going through your mind, dear brother?"

"Well… he's older, way older, for one. And maybe I did not think marrying Dmitri Zabini was a bad idea"

"But you'd rather like to be married for love, right?"

"Yes. We had been trying to get along and all, see if it led somewhere"

"Did it?"

"We're friends. Our couple dynamics consist of simple friendship. And we did have one kiss, and it was incredibly awkward. No spark at all, nothing that could indicate I was _that_ attracted to him" Harry rubbed his temples.

"Does Marvolo know?"

"Of Dmitri? Yes. He didn't seem too happy with me having a betrothal contract, but there was little either of us could do about it"

Sirius nibbled on his lower lip. Harry was too busy rubbing his temples, trying to make his growing headache go away, plopping down unceremoniously on his armchair, to notice the thoughtfulness on his twin's face.

At times like these, it was slightly easier to notice their differences. While Sirius had the pale silvery eyes of their dad, Orion, Harry's had a bit of a pale emerald shimmer to them, probably from their papa, who had bright emerald eyes. Both were tall, and shared traits such as noses, lips and ears, but their physiques were different. Due to Sirius playing Quidditch as a Beater, he was more muscular and built. Even if he wasn't skinny, his muscles were definite but lean. That also gave Harry a more delicate look than Sirius'.

"Love is complicated" Sirius finally announced. Harry sent him a dirty look, "What?"

"Really helpful" he replied, "Why were you looking for me?"

"Right! Papa's coming home!"

"Indoor voices, Siri, please. I have a headache"

"Right, sorry. Anyway, he'll be here soon, dad sent me to get you and he's getting Regulus"

Harry smiled faintly, as much as he could manage to with the headache, anyway, and stood to go down with Sirius.

"Misty!" Sirius called to his House Elf.

"What can Misty do for Master Sirius?"

"Could you bring a pain-relieving potion for Harry, please? He has a headache and couldn't even think of calling Colby" Sirius replied. The little House Elf curtsied after a short round of 'of course Master Sirius, Misty is bringing the potion for Master Hadrian'. No matter how much they tried to get their House Elves to call him Harry, they always stuck with full names for all their masters. Misty came back with the potion, which Harry quickly knocked back, and sighed as the pain left in a few seconds.

"Thank you, much better"

They made their way to the sunroom, where there was an adjoining fireplace that was specifically used for Floo traveling, especially long-distance. Their father would Floo in, and then go into the sunroom, where he knew his family would be waiting for him. They all had their ways of waiting for their father.

Sirius used his wand to release sparks or otherwise entertain himself. Harry always grabbed a book and, like his twin, he laid on one of the couches. Regulus usually showed more 'decorum' by sitting in one of the armchairs and doing homework (if he had any left to do), or writing to his friends. Orion, on his part, would be wearing the warm smile his three sons knew he had every time he was thinking of their father, especially after missing him for long periods of time.

Shortly after the twins took their usual places, Orion came in with Regulus, who quickly sat to write, apparently, to a friend.

"Your father notified me he brought gifts for all of you" Orion announced, sitting in another armchair. Sirius perked up.

"Really? What is he bringing? He was in Germany, right? Did he go to the Krammer joke shop?" he shot right away.

"For you, yes. I have yet to meet someone, aside from James and you, who loves to prank so much" Orion chuckled, "I'm sure he brought more than just jokes, though. He was also in Switzerland, Italy, and Ukraine, among others… really, he was gone for a year, he had plenty of time to go to a lot of places, so he probably bought gifts at every place he visited"

"Do you think he got me my favorite parchment from Sicily? I think I'm running out of it, and I really hate to wait a week to get it delivered" Regulus piped in. Orion was more amused at his sons than anything else. Even if they barely asked about their father, he knew that for the next weeks they would look for any excuse to spend time with him. Harry's excuse usually was chess, Regulus' was homework and books, and Sirius' had to do with pranking and, sometimes, dating tips.

"I'm sure he would never forget about it" Orion waited for Harry's inquiries, but they never came. He looked at his middle son (even if he was for a few minutes), and noticed that even though he was holding a book, his mind seemed to be elsewhere. Odd, "Harry?"

"Yes?" Harry snapped to attention, furthering Orion's worry.

"Is everything okay?"

"Uh… yes"

Orion cocked an eyebrow, and Harry went red. He might be a Slytherin, but he was unable to lie properly to his fathers. They always caught him, even if he had been articulate while lying. Harry just mouthed 'later', and Orion let it rest for the time being. That, and, seconds later, the Floo flared up, and Maximilian Kaiser went into the sunroom.

"Ian!" Orion called, standing at once, and making his way to greet his husband, who received him in his arms, and kissed him deeply. Sirius made a slight gagging noise, and the two lords chuckled when they heard Harry chucking his head with a pillow. After Orion, the twins and Regulus stood and hugged him at the same time, and the German lord smiled.

"I missed you all. How has it been here? How were your school grades? Too many parties?"

"Paperwork has been hell, as usual. Sirius is still refusing to sit through all the lessons, too" Orion looked at their oldest, who had the decency to blush. Maximilian, Ian for short, gave his oldest an unimpressed look.

"I understand it is quite tedious to do all the paperwork and be a politician, Sirius, but you are still the heir, and you need to learn it"

"But Harry is so much better at that… why can't he be the heir?"

"You were still born earlier" Harry intervened, "But papa is right, you really should at least sit through the lessons"

"You're supposed to be on my side" Sirius pouted.

"I am" Harry sighed.

"Sirius, you will use the rest of the summer to catch up. And, Hadrian, for the love of God, stop sitting in his place. I do know when you use Polyjuice. I don't exactly know _how_ you're getting it, but that's the least of my worries right now" Orion added, and both twins blushed, "Really, setting such an example for Regulus"

"It was his idea to use Polyjuice, actually" Harry frowned at Regulus' smirk, which disappeared as their fathers' eyes turned to him.

"Sorry?"

"Merlin, we don't have sons, we have menaces" Ian laughed at his husband's words, and their three sons protested, Sirius being the most verbal.

"Papa, we will play chess tomorrow, right? On our usual schedule?" Harry said. Ian nodded.

"Of course. Now, I am hungry, and I believe we have some surprises to unpack?"

"Yes!"

The five of them quickly made their way to the dining table, and their food was served. Even if they weren't especially boisterous, they did have a lot of conversation pending, because even constant letters, and some Floo calls in-between, were not enough. Ian smiled as he let his sons speak more than him. He really had missed them… and he vowed he would never make another long trip again.

Harry had been more of a recluse this summer, Orion noted, and he still hadn't told him what had been bothering him nearly a month and a half ago. He suspected the chess games with Maximilian were pretty much an excuse at this point, to not have that conversation. It worried him a bit, because Harry, Slytherin as he was, was never really secretive about his life, at least not with his family.

He had told his husband about it, but, so far, he had been as successful as him with figuring it out, or prying it out of their second son. So, Orion decided to interrupt their usual Tuesday afternoon chess game. He refused to call it an ambush, even if, technically speaking, it was one. Strolling casually through the Black Manor, he reached the sitting room that they used for chess. It had floor-to-ceiling windows that let a lot of natural light in, and had five divans, two of them strategically placed so they could play while lying down if they so wanted, with a table and a chess set between them. There were also two armchairs, both facing outside, giving a beautiful view of the massive and well-kept gardens. With another tea table and another chess set on it. This was the spot they both liked the most. Some spare armchairs were around, in case anyone wanted to join them. Like now.

Orion levitated an armchair behind him, and placed it beside his husband, who pecked his lips, and moved the only pawn he had left. Harry was winning again, Orion duly noted.

"Dad" Harry moved a bishop as he spoke his greeting. Orion watched their game. Harry won, unsurprisingly. He was his father's son, after all.

"We need to talk, Harry" he finally said. Harry stared, "What has you in this mood? You have been unusually secretive, and do not think we have not noticed Sirius and you having hushed arguments, promptly shut up whenever either of us showed up"

"I… I got a courting present" Harry admitted.

"You do know you have a betrothal contract, right?" Ian asked. Harry nodded.

"I really did not plan it, trust me. It came from an older man, that both of you know, and dad probably interacts with him frequently. We started keeping correspondence about six months ago"

"Wizengamot?" Orion questioned, and Harry nodded. There was silence, and Orion tried to remember what happened six months ago that could've prompted their exchange of letters. He only came up with that ball… Lucius' birthday ball, "Marvolo Slytherin?" Harry nodded, "Merlin" the Black lord looked at his husband, who seemed to observe his second oldest son for a while.

"It is not unwelcomed by you, is it, Hadrian?" and at his husband's words, Orion turned to see their son again, noting the light blush on his cheeks, and his avoidance.

"I know he is old enough to be my father. And, despite what everyone seems to think, I have yet to really be a mature man, so it never crossed my mind that he would actually be interested. You know I would not base something like this only on physical attraction. He is… interesting. I just… I wanted to kill him. He did not mention anything about the courting in his letters, and he _knows_ I have a betrothal contract, and even the one I'm betrothed to. He just… seemed to take interest out of curiosity for _me_, not for my name. I just… the betrothal…"

"That does not mean you will not get any offers. The contract can be called off if both parties agree to do so, especially if they have found someone of appropriate standing they rather be married to" Orion mused.

"Wouldn't it be insulting, though, for at least one party?"

"Hadrian, do not worry about it. If you truly want to pursue this, we can talk to Cassio and Madeline Zabini, and I'm sure you can talk to Dmitri. But only if this will make you happy, and if you truly want this" Maximilian held his husband's hand as they both looked at their son.

"I… I really would like to talk to Marvolo before even making a decision. I just hope this is not a joke"

"What did he send?"

"A box, with a circlet and a ring" at his fathers' slight gasp, and exchange of glances, he became confused, "What?"

"Are they matching?"

"Yes"

"Merlin" Orion stood, and he went to get a book, only to come back on a page, "Remember what we talked about? Like the part about courting?"

"Yes, depending on the first gift, you can read the intention. Usually a piece of jewelry with flowers that have been imbued in magic. The magic won't let the flowers wilt, unless the intent is not honest or the initial honest intent becomes ill" he recited almost from memory, "I can't recall anything about matching circlets and rings"

"The practice isn't as popular, but we still have books that do have that information. Just… it usually means that at the end of the courtship there will be a marriage. Is giving everything but the proposal. Could you please bring the box and its contents?" Ian asked.

Harry nodded, and left the room, walking to his own in a pensive mood. Marvolo was _that_ interested? With new eyes, he took another look at the box, and then at the green gold flower that was now sitting on his otherwise empty desk. He took the box with utmost care, and took it to his fathers.

"Here it is" he opened it so they could see the contents. He gave a closer look. They were matching, that was for sure, but, upon closer inspection, Harry was able to distinguish even more details. The circlet seemed to imitate vines, but they had scales, and when the sunlight hit them, it seemed to glow a bit, even changing color. The ring was the same, save from a delicate 'S' that was laying on it. The letter itself seemed to have a continuous emerald running through it.

"This is a bonding ring with a matching circlet. If you choose to wear the ring, you are not bonded, but you might as well be" Ian muttered, "I have seen this before, in a painting. One of my family married into the Slytherin line, probably centuries ago. He wore this. It came from Salazar Slytherin, he gave it to his consort"

"So, he is pretty much asking me to join his House? Marry him?"

"Yes" Orion said, "He is a lord, and, of our age, the only one that has not married, consistently saying he wanted to wait for someone who could not only be a good husband, but also an equal, that he could talk with… that could love him as a person, not so much as the lord he was. He has received his fair share of proposals, given his standing, but he was never interested in… what did he call them? Ah, yes, 'those attention, money-seeking harpies that worry more about popularity than being a good person'. He tends to talk more to Abraxas, but we've had our conversations"

Harry wasn't sure what to do anymore. He felt attracted to Marvolo, both physically, and emotionally. The man's mind was amazingly analytical, and yet, he was still capable to show his feelings. Granted, probably only Harry was privy to them, but that only helped him to realize how much Marvolo cared for him. And, truth be told, he felt warm just thinking about it. He had partially resigned himself to a marriage that was more out of convenience and heirs than on real love. Even if he and Dmitri got along, they truly had been unable to develop a real relationship.

"Harry?"

"I need to talk to Marvolo. I… I doubt I will marry Dmitri Zabini" he watched his fathers to see their reaction, but they only gave him understanding smiles.

"We understand. You know your dad and I were an arranged marriage. We fell in love during our first years of marriage, not right away, but, in reality, very few people can claim the same" Maximilian smiled, "Besides, I think your dad would prefer you to marry out of love. It shows more promise in the grandchildren department" he wiggled his eyebrows, earning a cuff at his arm, and his second son's blushing.

"Maximilian! Papa!" came the protests. He just laughed.

Harry arranged his meeting with Marvolo via his beautiful Golden Eagle. Despite its name, like most of all the Black messenger familiars, it was black, or so dark that it did not make a difference. His family tended to buy all the animals, especially their messengers, in that color. They were, pretty much, anomalies in their species. It helped them to not get put down, and it was a lot more intimidating when a black bird approached you with a letter. In short, Blacks took the black to a new level. Personally, Harry liked their messenger familiars being black. They looks even more elegant.

Talik, his Golden Eagle, returned two hours later with his reply. It made him nervous, but he wouldn't back down now. He looked at the time, barely six in the afternoon. They would meet at eight at LeBlanc's, a restaurant frequented by the elite of their world.

He decided to take a bath to relax himself, because, truth be told, he needed it. And he wanted to have the best image possible for Marvolo. He had resigned himself to never doing anything to the almost passing crush he had developed for the older man. Even if his crush had deepened the longer they exchanged letters, just _why_ would Marvolo possibly love him? But now… when he realized just how serious the lord was… his crush came back with a vengeance, and he was sure that if this ended up as a joke… heartbroken would barely cover the hurt that would plague him.

"Lord Marvolo Slytherin" the lord told the host.

"This way, sir. Your companion is waiting for you" was his answer, and he followed the host to a private booth, where he saw Hadrian Black sipping wine. As soon as they reached the booth, the host left with a light bow, and the two men stared at each other.

"Marvolo" Hadrian offered his hand, and Marvolo was quick to take it a place a kiss over it.

"Hadrian"

"I think we have much to talk about" the younger wizard smiled softly. Marvolo gave a short nod as he took a seat in front of him. Both kept silent while they read the menu. They finally chose with their wand, making their menus disappear, and then stared at each other again, before Marvolo dared to speak.

"I see you have several questions. Would you like to ask me something?"

"Several things, Marvolo" and Hadrian smiled a bit, "Why me? I am not the heir to the Black title, just second in line for the Kaiser title, and I am much younger than you, so maturity is probably not in the list of my attributes"

"You truly underestimate yourself, dear" Marvolo sighed, "While you are much younger, your maturity levels are way beyond your age, and I would dare to say I have seen people in their sixties that have less maturity than you, and sometimes even throw tantrums as if they were toddlers. I do not care for your titles, because, honestly, I do have titles myself, the Slytherin being the most prominent, as you know. You are much more than just what your family taught you. You are kind, serious, and yet you also enjoy your youth, even without breaking boundaries. I see you are happy, and I want to both share that happiness, and maintain it. If you agree, that is" Harry smiled faintly.

"Thank you" he kept his composure, even if he was blushing, "I find you fascinating, Marvolo, and I would lie if I told you I do not return your feelings. You were a bit… obvious, especially when you found out about my betrothal. I have talked to my fathers, and I will talk to Dmitri, as they will talk with Dmitri's parents. I will not marry him"

"Oh, really? And why is that?"

"While we are good friends, our marriage would be loveless, it would be more about companionship and, eventually, producing an heir. With you, I have a chance at a loving marriage, and real happiness. I would be pretty stupid to let it go, and I would like to think I do not lack intelligence"

"You do not" Marvolo smiled faintly, and took Hadrian's hand with his. The younger man took out a small box with his left hand, and slid it across the table to the lord, who gleefully noted that Hadrian was wearing the ring he had sent, "You accepted, even before we met tonight"

"As I said, I would be stupid to let this go" Hadrian smiled, "You will find a ring in there. It is not a lordship ring, but it has been in my family for five centuries. Just as you expressed how serious you were about me, I am expressing how serious I am about you. If I were the heir, you would be getting the Black Consort ring"

It was Marvolo's turn to blush.

The rest of their evening went smoothly. Luckily, they were as articulate with each other in person as they were when they exchanged letters, so, even if they did have silent moments, it never grew to be uncomfortable. Marvolo was a real gentleman, Harry noted as they walked up to the Black Manor from the apparition point.

"You're an amazing young man, Hadrian"

"You can call me Harry, Marvolo. Hadrian is too stuffy" the younger wizard chuckled.

"Thank you, Harry" Marvolo smiled softly, and held Harry's chin with his fingers, "I really enjoyed our outing tonight. I hope we can go on more dates"

"Of course" Harry breathed out, a bit distracted by how close Marvolo's lips were to his. The older man smiled faintly, and joined their lips after a few seconds. Harry didn't wait to respond, and let himself be pulled closer. The kiss grew a bit more heated, and it took Marvolo's immense self-control to stop it.

"I really would not like if Orion came out and decided I am corrupting you and that we should not court"

"How did it go?"

"He accepted the ring" Harry smiled almost goofily, and his father smiled.

"He would be a fool to not accept it"

"Are we expecting a wedding after you graduate?"

"Probably. We talked about my career, and he said he would support me in whatever career I choose. We also agreed to wait until I graduate at least Hogwarts to have the wedding. We will meet at Hogsmead a bit more frequently, and we will probably have weekend dates out of the country. I will notify you of them, though, so you don't worry" Harry was ready to jump happily at the prospect of spending more time with Marvolo.

"That does remind me… we need to give you 'The Talk', son"

"Oh, no, Merlin, no!"

"See, when two wizards love each other very much…" Orion was trying to refrain from laughing as Hadrian looked at him for help while his husband explained, with excruciating detail, how babies were formed in a wizard's body.


End file.
